France - euro - Currency Guide

General Currency Info - euro

The euro (ISO: EUR) is involved in slightly more than 30% of all foreign exchange deals, and as such, is the world’s second most traded currency, behind the US dollar.

The euro is the currency of the eurozone (officially called the ‘euro area’), which consists of 19 of the 28 member states of the European Union, and is used by almost 350 million Europeans. It was introduced in January 1999.

Of all the thousands of exchange rates that exist in the world, the euro-to-US dollar exchange rate is the most actively traded, or most ‘liquid’.

Since its introduction, the euro’s lowest value against the dollar came in October 2000 when EUR/USD hit lows of 0.8231. The currency was strongest in July 2008, shortly before the worst stage of the 2007-2009 financial crisis, when EUR/USD reached 1.6038.

There are currently more than twenty nations and territories which peg their currencies to the euro, the largest of which is Denmark.

EUR News, Forecasts and Trends

For more EUR currency market forecasts you can read the full article euro Forecasts.

Travel, Currency and Money saving tips for France

France is beautiful, has great food, delicious wine, deep history, and a carefree atmosphere. There’s nothing like a picnic along the Seine or a day through the French countryside to make life seem beautiful. France is everything that people make it out to be and then some. France can be expensive to travel in, and eating out is not cheap. Buying your own food in France can be very cheap however. There are many bread, cheese, and meat shops around. There are outdoor markets that are cheap, and fun, to visit. It’s common to pick up some ingredients and have a picnic.

The best way to get around France is via the trains. Overnight trains cost the least, while the fast TGV lines (high-speed train) cost the most, about 90 EUR. Local transit systems are reliable and cost between 1-3 EUR per trip. Transportation to and from airport into city centers is generally affordable and user friendly. Expect about 12 EURO to get into Paris from Charles de Gaulle. However, there are several ways to get into the city, the last choice we would advise is on the RER train. The RER is great for Parisians who know their way around or experienced repeat travelers, but not at all great for arriving tourists from overnight flights. Tired and disoriented tourists are easy targets for baggage theft and pickpockets on that line. If you take it, always keep an eye on luggage at every stop all the way into the city.Taxis will be tough on the budget, so avoid when you can.

The French Alps offer some of the best ski slopes in Europe. If you're in Europe in the winter months and at a loss for what to do, consider getting a group together and renting a ski chalet, or staying at one of the slope-side hotels or hostels.

France has some of the best Roman ruins outside of Italy. Orange, Nimes and Arles all have beautiful Roman theaters, and Nimes also contains a well-preserved temple.

Travel money for France

Save money and time by Ordering your euro online from Travelex, you get better rates and can pick up the EUR cash locally or even on travel day at the airport.

Another popular option is to use a Pre-paid Travel Card. Your Debit/Credit Card provider will charge you 2% from market mid-rate, but your bank may also charge an extra 3% as an “Overseas Transaction Charge” plus “Overseas ATM” fees for withdrawing cash.

For card purchases if offered a choice of currencies always select to Pay in euro otherwise you may get much worst exchange rates.

Send Money to France - Best Rates

To get a good (and fair) exchange rate when sending money to France you need to find and compare exchange rates for International Money Transfers (IMTs).

The available FX rates for sending money abroad can be very different to the mid-market (wholesale) rate which you see reported online and in the News.

You should especially compare your own bank's exchange rates to those available from Money Transfer specialists to see how much you can save - we make that calculation easy in the below table.

Get a better deal for foreign transfers to France

When sending money to France it’s important to compare your bank’s rates & fees with those we have negotiated with our partner money transfer providers. To get a better deal you should follow these 4 simple steps :

1. Open an account with a BER reviewed FX provider (id docs may be required)
2. You specify the local or euro amount you want to transfer
3. Make a local currency domestic transfer for the requested amount to the provider's bank account in your country
4. Once your funds are received by the provider the converted EUR amount will be transfered to the recipient account you specify in France.

Use the above Send to euro calculator to compare the exchange rates of FX specialist providers rates versus your bank's standard rates you can hopefully save around 5% and maybe more - end result is more euro deposited into the recipient bank account and less margins and fees kept by the banks!